# Germinated Haricot Bean and Teff‐Fortified Barley Porridge for Combatting Pregnant Women's Malnutrition: Optimization Using Mixture Design, Regression Modeling, Contour Plot Analysis, and Nutritional Evaluations

## TL;DR

This study creates a nutritious porridge blend using germinated haricot beans, teff, and barley to address malnutrition in pregnant women in Ethiopia.

## Contribution

The study introduces an optimized composite flour blend that enhances nutritional and functional properties for pregnant women.

## Key findings

- The composite flours showed improved proximate composition and mineral content.
- Sensory evaluations indicated acceptable taste and texture for the porridge.
- Blending germinated haricot beans, teff, and barley significantly enhanced nutritional value.

## Abstract

In Ethiopia, malnutrition among pregnant women, particularly in rural areas, remains a critical public health challenge, necessitating a strong focus on developing innovative food products. This study aimed to develop optimized composite porridge flours for pregnant women by blending germinated haricot beans, teff, and barley, using regression modeling and contour plot analysis. The flours were blended within 30%–60% for barley, 10%–30% for teff, and 30%–60% for germinated haricot beans. The formulated composite flours exhibited proximate composition values (g/100 g) within the ranges of moisture (8.96–9.46), ash (3.46–4.76), crude fat (2.09–3.64), crude fiber (9.16–10.75), crude protein (14.32–17.57), carbohydrate (66.57–69.58), and energy value (355.57–365.92 kcal/100 g). The mineral content (mg/100 g) included Fe (12.12–16.22), Zn (2.07–5.13), Ca (240.88–582.8), Mg (285.98–534.53), and K (1184.85–1599.99). Anti‐nutrient content (mg/100 g) comprised tannins (8.46–13.16) and oxalates (8.77–12.52). The functional properties results (%) encompassed WAC (36.36–56.04) and OAC (35.46–54.65). The sensory evaluations of the porridge showed acceptable scores in appearance, aroma, taste, texture, and overall acceptability. The study revealed that incorporating germinated haricot bean and teff flours into barley flour significantly enhanced its nutritional and functional properties, making it suitable for pregnant women.

In this study, composite flours were developed by blending germinated haricot beans, teff, and barley to create a nutritious porridge for pregnant women in Ethiopia. The formulated flours exhibited favorable proximate composition, mineral content, and functional properties, enhancing their suitability as supplementary food for combating malnutrition among pregnant women.